I loved this book. After reading Alex, Approximately I fell in love with Bennett's writing. I highly recommend this book for young adults and adults alike.

I started reading this and while it is Not For Me, I really think that this will be a really enjoyable read for many other people.

I’ve really enjoyed Jenn Bennett’s two prior YA contemporaries, Anatomical Shape of a Heart and Alex, Approximately. So I went into Starry Eyes with a lot of expectations.

Expectations met!! This book is my favorite of Bennett’s so far!

Zorie was a girl I could relate to. After her mother’s death, she finds comfort in keeping her life as orderly and predictable as possible. Her dad has remarried, she loves her stepmother, but she and her family have entered into a bit of a standoff with her former best friend Lennon and his moms.

When Zorie gets invited on a camping trip with some friends, she packs Benadryl (for her outbreaks of hives) and her telescope (she’s an aspiring astronomer). Unfortunately, right before she leaves she makes a dismaying discovery about her dad. And when the trip starts, she makes another dismaying discovery: her former friend Lennon is going to be on the trip too.

Starry Eyes proves that it IS possible to weave a bunch of themes and issues into a realistic fiction book without it seeming too heavy-handed. The story does a great job of dealing with family issues and friendship issues. I loved Zorie’s relationship with her wonderful stepmom. I also loved the way the book portrayed the complicated tangle of friendship that leads to Zorie and Lennon being stranded in the backcountry … together.

Lennon – let’s talk about him. At first, I was skeptical. He’s a goth guy into reptiles, a guy with a pet red bearded dragon lizard that he walks on a leash. This was … a bit off-putting to me. But I’m glad I kept an open mind, because in the end he was a really great guy. Not the guy I’d fall for, but a guy I loved watching Zorie fall for. Their romance built slowly and believably.

Then there was the outdoor adventure stuff. I’m not the most outdoorsy person, but I really loved the way the book incorporated the wilderness into the story. Basically, Zorie thought she was going on a “glamping” trip but got anything but, which was not the best for her control issues. Watching her worry about bears and flash flooding and snakes really upped the tension for me.

I always hope to find a book with memorable characters that I become completely invested in, and Starry Eyes was definitely that kind of a book. Be sure to check it out if you’re a Jenn Bennett fan, and if you haven’t yet tried her books, this is the perfect place to start. (I haven’t read her adult books, but I’m definitely checking them out!)

This ARC was provided to me by the publisher for early review on NetGalley.

I was thrilled to have early access to a story that I'd have my eyes on for a little while. I have heard great things about Jenn Bennett's writing and this camping tale held a lot of appeal for me. Guys, I was not let down. I really loved this contemporary.

Our main character, Zorie, is a lover of astronomy and clearly feeling a little lost in her friend group and family life. After uncovering some disturbing information about her father she is encouraged to join a glamping trip with a frienemy who also happens to be an Olympic hopeful who didn't make the cut. The glamping goes awry when Zorie is faced with Lennon, her childhood best friend and one-time boyfriend, who is joining them on the trip. Things go further south when a blowup in the friend group has Zorie and Lennon being abandoned at a remote camping site alone together.

This is a story about friendship turned to love, the heartbreak of betrayal, the love of family whether that be blood or not, and the mending of broken hearts. It was a fantastic and fast-paced story that packed an emotional punch and didn't shy away from sex and sexuality! Can we get an Amen for that? This book includes a good bit of diversity with Lennon's mothers being both lesbians and sex shop owners and Zorie's mother being Korean American.

It had everything I want in a contemporary but the start of the story and some of the friend group drama was rushed and left unfinished for me and so it got a four star rating but I absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes contemporary books. I'd consider this to be on the verge of new adult due to the sexual nature but huge props for high schoolers having sex, cause we all know they do!

That was so good! I had high expectations for this after reading Alex, Approximately last year, and I was not disappointed. Once again, Jenn Bennett strikes gold (more like I did for reading this!). Zorie and Lannon's relationship was perfect and angsty and sex positive and I loved it. There's so much history, and I loved seeing how their friendship and relationship intertwined. There's also present parents in this (yay!). I only have a slight issue, and that is the ending. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. But the writing style became for tell rather than show when all the loose ends were being tied up. But the cute graphic at the end (that you should not look at prior to starting the book!) was very cute.

4.75 Stars!

The app isn't allowing me to read this novel but I will be requesting it from my library as soon as it is available. Loved the previous book I read by Jenn Bennett and this one looks great as well!

I Loved this book! It was one of my favorite YA books in the last year or two. It was quirky, sad, sexy and just everything I wanted it to be!!

What a fantastic book! This book starts off with lots of drama and it just continues throughout the book! Zorie is an extreme planner and a little up tight. I found Zorie to be a pretty likable character and you really see her grow throughout the book. In the beginning, Zorie agrees to go on a glamping trip with some friends to get away from some recent family drama. That glamping trip turns out to be something entirely different than what she signed up for. I will say, I did not like her friends. They were horrible! Her once friend turned enemy, Lennon, is the only one on the trip I liked. He is sweet and they have plenty of chemistry! My only complaint was the book dragged on a little while they were lost.

This book had a lot of depth to it, lots of drama, angst, and misunderstandings all around. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading anything by Jenn Bennett in the future.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review from Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing via NetGalley.

I look forward to each of Jenn Bennett's books; they're well-written, heartfelt, and contain fully-realized characters who feel different from other YA books. They're also pretty awesome slow-burn romances, full of sweet (and sexy, but not too sexy) bits.

I first have a confession to make: it took me reading this book before I decided to pick up Bennett’s Alex, Approximately, which I know many people are obsessed with. I’m currently reading it, and I’m sure there will be a review for it on my Goodreads page within the next couple days as well.

All that being said, wow. I devoured this book and could literally think of nothing else while I was reading it. It was real. It was cute. It was heartbreaking? It was uplifting and empowering. Mostly, though, it just felt like I was on a camping trip with these people who could easily have been traded out for people just like you and me.

Zorie is an extremely relatable character. She’s pretty OCD about planning things, with calendars and lists and detailed research running her life. So when she gets sent out to the woods for a camping trip - something she does NOT plan to enjoy - she’s totally out of her element. I, too, would not enjoy camping or leaving the safety of my wi-fi at home, so I totally get this!

However, she ends up going on a spectacular adventure, with some bumps and bruises and an ex-best friend, Lennon. Oooooooh, Lennon. Lennon is not your average YA male. He’s kind of goth? And loves reptiles, comics, and works in his parents’ sex shop sometimes when he’s not working at the reptile house. WHAT A GUY. So interesting, and his character is also SO REAL. I know I say that in every review, but he was such a dweeb but also loved hiking and was kind of built and ugh… Y’ALL. It was so fun to read about him! I know my reviews also always focus on the guy, but come on. I’m gushing because you NEED to know.

Ultimately, Zorie and Lennon’s relationship starts of rocky and then you have this amazing story about love, family (so much wonderful and tragic family stuff), and friendship. Bennett’s description of the landscape is also amazing, so I could really picture myself there. The book is separated into 3 parts, and there’s a cute map at the beginning of each part. So fun!

For real, read this book. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good wilderness and camping story with a relationship that is super exciting to read about.

Suchhhh a good YA contemporary read. Perfect for the summer: that comfortable time in-between semesters where teens have that sense of freedom and independence. Jenn Bennett always writes hit contemporaries, and Starry Eyes was no exception. There were excellent, down-to-earth characters, the most wholesome romance, and an adventurous setting. There was a bit more drama than her past books, but the atmosphere of the book overall remained light and sweet. Here are some reasons, with the help of emojis, that explain why I recommend this book.

Zorie’s Flawed Character = Us *pencil emoji*

The book follows Zorie’s first-person POV. She loves planning through bullet journals and calendars. (Sounds like someone you know? ;) ) She needs to know what the plan is or she’ll get anxiety. I loved following her thoughts, her insecurities, and her discoveries. It’s the summer before her senior year of high school, but she’s got her eyes set on becoming an astrophysicist. She also has chronic urticaria, which is chronic hives that appear when she’s stressed or comes into contact with things she’s allergic to. I loved Zorie’s character and her penchant for planning.

"I believe in schedules, routines, washi-tape-covered calendars, bulleted lists in graph-paper journals, and best-laid plans."

Hiking Trip? Count Me In! *tent emoji*

The premise of the story is that Zorie goes camping when some popular people in her high school to try to raise her social standing. Zorie’s kind of lost at this moment of her life. Her ex-best friend Lennon has cut contact with her and her childhood friend Reagan distanced herself after she became rich and started training for the Olympics. She also takes this opportunity to get closer to a cute guy named Brett who she’s interested in. But not all goes well, and a heated argument in front of a waterfall leave Zorie stranded at the park… with her ex-best friend. Ensue romantic times.

Best. Romance. Ever. (Plus Points For Excellent Discussion of Sex!) *two heart emojis*

Bennett’s romances are always fantastically written. This time, she takes the best-friends-to-lovers trope and twists it to become best-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-back-to-lovers. Fine, there is some drama and misunderstandings to create this scenario. But I didn’t mind - these mistakes happen and the characters did a great job in apologizing and owning up for what they did and getting back on track. Hello Romeo and Juliet vibes? Zorie’s dad dislikes the fact that Lennon’s moms opened a sex store right next to his massage/acupuncture clinic and blames their family for ruining his business. Ensue forbidden romance.

“‘We are goddamn amazing. We’re a rocket ship filled with potential. Either we die in a fiery blaze before we leave the Earth’s atmosphere, or we make it through and orbit the moon.’”

It’s the small things that make this romance so beautiful: the heated glances, subconscious trust, sparkling chemistry, and reciprocal respect for each person’s passions. Lennon is such a swoon-worthy love interest to. He’s biracial (his father’s an Egyptian-American rock star!) and exhibits emo vibes. He wears all black, likes reptiles, and enjoys horror manga. But he’s also an avid hiker and, luckily for Zorie, knows a lot about survival.

The Stepmother-Daughter Relationship is Flawless *mom-daughter emoji*

Zorie’s birth mother died when she was a young girl, but she maintains an excellent relationship with her stepmother, who she calls Mom. Zorie goes through some family trouble in the story, but throughout it all, her mother stays strong and supportive. I loved the small incorporation that she’s Korean-American. Bennett is always great with adding diverse elements to her contemporaries here and there in subtle yet important ways. I found their relationship to be sooo heartwarming and a large reason why I adored this book.

“Uncertainty isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it can even be filled with extraordinary potential.’”

Sure, Starry Eyes follows similar tropes in contemporary YA that have been seen before. But Bennett’s writing just puts it on another level. The characters are refreshing, the dialogue is witty and sweet, and the relationships are wholesome and realistic. I will pretty much read anything this author releases, and with relish. I’m so glad this was another hit from her!